HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 12-09-2010MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
December 9, 2010
PRESENT: Commissioners: G. Anderson, N. Carroll, M. Riley, A. Vanderwall, J. Zwack
Staff: D. Evans, E. Blank, D. Sankey
Planning Commission Liaison: D. Kobusson
ABSENT: Commissioner J. D. Nelson
City Council Liaison B. Stein
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION was made by Commissioner Vanderwall and seconded by Commissioner Zwack
to approve the September minutes. Vote: 4 Ayes. Motion carried.
Note: Commissioner Carroll arrived after the vote.
3. OPEN FORUM
none
4. STAFF UPDATE:
a. Staff Presentation: Dan Lauer.
Dan Lauer explained that the Parks & Recreation Department has a vision of
constantly striving to be innovative, creative, and a leader in the field. We are creative
in budgeting, programming, and staffing. In adult athletics, we offer a wide range of
team sports and individual sports, including basketball, softball, kickball, football,
soccer, volleyball, and dodgeball. Open volleyball, badminton, soccer, tennis, and golf
are offered for individual players. Lauer is working with Sara Mittelstaedt, Senior
Coordinator, on active adult programming, including tennis and bocce ball.
A large part of Lauer's job is working with youth sports, including camps, clinics, and
rec leagues. We use parent volunteer coaches and hire coaches. We also contract
with providers such as Skyhawks and Sports Unlimited. We hire PGA and LPGA golf
pros to teach lessons at Parkers Lake Golf Center, and we have leagues at Begin
Oaks. Kevin Lynch has offered basketball camps, and Minnesota Swordplay offers
fencing classes. An archery program started this past fall. For youth fall soccer, parent
volunteers do all coaching. We have added a soccer program for 4 year olds, and
have added a U14 level because kids wanted to continue in our program. We have
tennis lessons and leagues, t -ball and baseball leagues, flag football league, and our
Rink Rat hockey league. We have also started programs for 3'/2 to 4 year olds such as
Little Sportster.
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Lauer is coordinating Fire & Ice with Travis Karlen on February 5 at Parkers Lake. It
will include many of our classic events such as sled dog rides, pony rides, and hay
rides. New events include hot air balloon rides and a Native American dance troop,
plus more fireworks. Karlen has put together a medallion hunt. Lauer is also
coordinating the Yard & Garden Expo to be held on April 8 & 9 at the Fieldhouse. He
said that we are always looking for new programs and events, and we are open for
suggestions.
Lauer has been putting out a trail counter on various paths and trails throughout the
city to gather information on trail usage. Chair Anderson asked how the trail counter
was working out and how it works in the winter. Lauer responded that it is working well
and does work in the winter, but he must be more careful with how he installs it on the
trail because of plowing. There is obviously a dramatic change between summer and
winter counts. We did have some vandalism to the counter on the Plymouth Creek
Disc Golf Course trail. Someone pounded it and broke it into pieces.
b. Staff Presentation: Travis Karlen.
Superintendent Evans introduced Travis Karlen to the commissioners. He replaces
Karol Greupner in the arts/music focus position. Karlen said he worked with the
Playground Program this summer, and was pleased with the great staff. He is working
with the Entertainment in the Parks series, and it will be expanded next summer. He
also plans to add a Movies in the Park series. He would like to incorporate the small
stage at the Hilde for entertainment offerings. Karlen is coordinating arts, Music for
Everyone, and dance classes. Prairie Fire Theater has been offered for the past
several summers. We will have three productions this year — February will be Sleeping
Beauty, June will be Aladdin, and August will be Beauty and the Beast. New programs
include a children's choir, Winter Guard (a color guard program), and a Kiddy Parade
around the Fourth of July. To spice up the Parks Plus program this year, the DNR will
do a fishing day. He is also planning and organizing events for Fire & Ice with Dan
Lauer.
Karlen is in charge of promoting sponsorships for the department. He and Tara
Jenkins developed an information packet for encouraging local businesses to sponsor
programs. We have had a very good response from the businesses. He is also the
liaison for the Plymouth Fine Arts Council.
Commissioner Carroll said that Movies in the Park is a great idea and asked what
venue we will use. Karlen said he is planning to use the Hilde right now, although with
a portable screen, maybe others could be used. Carroll asked what movies would be
played. Karlen said he has not decided yet, but he is planning to use current releases
and classics, mostly family movies. Maybe a one-night event for adults could be held
at the Millennium Garden.
c. Upcoming Community / Special Events.
Superintendent Evans reported that staff went to the National Conference in
Minneapolis in October and made a presentation before the accreditation commission
and answered their questions. We achieved 143 of 144 possible items. We are one of
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five Minnesota agencies and one of 97 national agencies to be accredited.
For the Hilde, 95% of the construction is done. Cold weather ended construction for
this year and the rest will be finished in the spring. The hockey rink at Plymouth Creek
will be ready for skating this winter. It can be used in the summer, too. We will be
collecting data on usage to determine what kind of value it brings to the park system.
Council is voting on the city budget. The CIP for 2011 is tied to the budget and
includes the parking lot for the dog park, new trails, a skating rink for Zachary Playfield
like the one at Plymouth Creek, and redevelopment of the skate park.
Evans announced that Erica Chua is leaving us, and we are in the process of
interviewing for her replacement.
Halloween at the Creek was a great event. The Kids Garage Sale had 31 kids selling
their stuff and over 400 shoppers. Commissioner Carroll asked when the next one will
be held. Evans said it will be in the spring. The Plymouth Rockers had their Cookies &
Carols concert on December 1 and sang at City Hall. Old Fashioned Christmas drew
over 650 people. Our next event is the New Year's Eve celebration at the Ice Center
and Lifetime Fitness. Registration is under way for the winter brochure programs. We
had over 1000 registrations on the first day, 65% of which were online.
Chair Anderson wondered if accreditation needed to be renewed. Evans said there is
a renewal process every five years. Anderson asked what other Minnesota cities have
been accredited. Evans said Roseville, St. Paul, Ramsey County, and Minneapolis.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Bassett Creek Regional Trail — Three Rivers Park District.
Ann Rexine, Planner from Three Rivers Park District, presented the plan for the
Bassett Creek Regional Trail. She explained that a Master Plan must go through an
approval process with the Metropolitan Council. The visitation estimate for the Luce
Line was 138,240 in 2009, and they feel this trail will be about the same. The trail will
connect Clifton French Park to Theodore Wirth Park and will go through Plymouth,
New Hope, Crystal, and Golden Valley. There is a bridge crossing Highway 169 at
36th Ave and one crossing Highway 100. In Plymouth, the trail will follow along 36th
Avenue, although they are not sure yet if it will be on the north side or the south side.
There are segments in New Hope and Crystal that are already completed. There is a
task force whose members have had input toward the guiding principles in choosing
route alignment. Three Rivers is planning an open house in the second or third
quarter of 2011 at Crystal City Hall. They hope to have the final master plan completed
by the fourth quarter of 2011.
Chair Anderson asked if there will be an open house in each city. Rexine said there
will be just the one at Crystal City Hall. Commissioner Zwack asked what the typical
opposition would be at an open house. Rexine said that in fully developed urban
communities, people want to know how it will affect them and about safe crossings.
Representatives from public safety, planning, landscape architects and others attend
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the open houses with them to help answer questions. Other questions include: will it
be lit, hours of operation, and whom do we call if a tree falls. Three Rivers will set up a
website page to help answer these typical questions ahead of time. Commissioner
Carroll asked about the traffic count. He thought it would be a lot higher for the Luce
Line. Don DeVeau, Director of Planning and Development for Three Rivers, said he
wasn't sure how it was derived for the Luce Line. Sometimes they have people do a
physical count. They also take counts at various locations along trails. Commissioner
Zwack asked if they expect the type of use to be different in the strongly urban area
than on the Luce Line. DeVeau said he thinks it will be similar to other urban regional
trails. In inner ring suburbs, more pedestrian than bicycle use is usually found. Chair
Anderson asked when they would expect completion of the trails. DeVeau explained
that funding would not necessarily be available to enable the project to start right after
the plan is approved. Their ten-year vision plan indicates that there will be dollars
available for this trail. Other funds are available from the state and other entities. The
project could even possibly be started in 2012. Commissioner Carroll asked if the trail
would support commuting, and they replied that it would.
b. Open Space Plan — Paul Buck.
Paul Buck presented the Open Space Plan and pointed out the stewardship needed
on the various open space parcels. Commissioner Carroll asked about techniques for
buckthorn removal. Buck said it is mostly large scale. They clean out 3-6 acres at a
time with chain saws. They spray with round up in October when other plants have
gone dormant. The following spring, they get a feel for how well the efforts worked.
The department loans out weed wrenches that residents can borrow to clean out their
yards or their neighborhood parks. Chair Anderson said the new report format is much
easier to read and understand. He noticed that some parcels have grades and some
don't. Buck said that the grades came from a consultant who worked on the bonding
issue, and they are an indication of qualities of parcels. Buck said all the parcels are
being managed to keep them as natural as possible. Carroll said it is a great document
and he found it very useful. Evans and Buck pointed out this is a living document and
changes will be made as necessary.
MOTION was made by Commissioner Carroll to accept the Open Space Plan.
Commissioner Vanderwall seconded. Vote: 5 Ayes. Motion carried.
c. Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan — Paul Buck.
Paul Buck spoke on the budget for removing ash trees and replacing them. He felt that
Option #1 is the best choice because visual impact would be less if we started with
replacing the smallest trees first. The larger trees are more valuable, and saving them
until last give us a chance to not have to remove them if the situation changes.
Commissioner Zwack said this plan is very consistent with what other communities
around the country are doing. The pest is going to cost the city money one way or
another. Buck said that no pests were found in the traps that were put out around
Plymouth this summer. Nothing outside of the original infestation in St Paul has been
found in the state. Commissioner Zwack said nobody in the country is saying that a
community ought to try to save all of the ash trees in the community. The prevention
technology is getting better and better and the cost is coming down. The body of
knowledge is evolving. When the trees die, they become brittle and it is a huge liability
PRAC Minutes/December 9, 2010
Page 5
issue. Chair Anderson noticed that the plan does not allow for any of the chemical
treatments and wondered if this was practical. Buck answered that trees on private
property and boulevards could be treated on a case-by-case basis. Zwack said he
read something in the report about leaving the door open for treatment for the more
valuable trees. Zwack said the concern in many communities is losing a third of their
trees in a short time, which may be too much for their budgets to handle. Since the
trees become brittle when they die from the elm borer damage, a liability issue comes
in. Anderson commented that individual homeowners will feel that their tree is
valuable. Buck said that people will be allowed to treat the boulevard trees if they like.
If they don't and it dies, the city will remove it. Once you start treating a tree, there is
no time to where you can stop and feel comfortable. Zwack said after the big wave
goes through, the remaining trees might not need treating as intensely. The urban
trees are valuable because they provide many services such as carbon usage and
storm water runoff. Carroll asked about the sources of funding for grants. Buck said
there is a State funding grant, which we have received, and they can extend it.
MOTION was made by Commissioner Zwack to accept the Emerald Ash Borer
Management Plan and Option #1. Commissioner Carroll seconded. Vote: 5 Ayes.
Motion carried.
d. Park Fees
Superintendant Evans explained that we periodically bring in suggestions of fee
changes for rental of facilities. She pointed out the proposal showing current fees with
the proposed fees for 2011. We look at surrounding communities to see that we are
staying in line with the fees they charge. Canoe rack rental fees would go up for non-
residents. Council wishes to make fees a better value for residents compared to non-
residents. Parkers Lake Stage rental would go up a few dollars. Commissioner Riley
asked how much of a total revenue increase would this be, and how much the stage is
used. Evans said that the stage is used most by the city, although a few people rent it
for events. The purpose of increasing the fee is to keep it in line with other
communities and to keep it current.
MOTION was made by Commissioner Riley to adopt the Facility Fee Schedule as
proposed for 2011. Commissioner Vanderwall seconded. Vote: 5 Ayes. Motion
carried.
e. 2011 Meeting Calendar
Superintendant Evans presented the calendar showing the PRAC schedule for the
upcoming year. She asked if commissioners have any questions or recommendations.
Commissioner Carroll asked about a park tour. Evans said we usually do it every other
year because of the cost, so this would be our off year. Commissioner Riley said she
would like to have a park tour annually. Chair Anderson said there are probably some
parts of the Northwest Greenway that we haven't visited. Evans said that there have
not been a lot of changes since last summer, so it might be better to wait until 2012 to
do this tour.
PRAC Minutes/December 9, 2010
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6. COMMISSIONER UPDATES
None.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Anderson entertained the motion to adjourn. MOTION was made by Commissioner
Zwack and seconded by Commissioner Riley. Vote: 5 Ayes. Motion approved. The
meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
The next meeting will be held on January 13 at City Hall.
Donna Sankey — PRAC recorder